Clooney faces up to some Intolerable Cruelty...

WHEN he's not appearing in, or producing, films directed by Steven Soderbergh,
George Clooney seems to be starring in those that are directed by the Coen
Brothers - which is no bad thing.

Having teamed up with them to glorious effect in the riotously funny, O Brother,
Where Art Thou?, the star has been reunited for Intolerable Cruelty, a bittersweet
romantic comedy, co-starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, which looks set to continue
to run of quality films being made by the actor at the moment.

Written and directed by the Coens, Intolerable Cruelty finds Clooney as a
sleazy Beverly Hills divorce attorney, who frames the wife (Zeta-Jones) of
one of his clients, so the man can be released from the marriage and free
from paying any settlement.

The woman seeks revenge by plotting to marry the attorney and then taking
him to the cleaners in their own divorce. But what she doesn't count on, is
falling in love with him.

The movie co-stars the likes of previous Coen collaborator, Billy Bob Thornton,
as a popular soap opera actor, whom Zeta-Jones hires to pose as a husband,
and Geoffrey Rush, as the director of the actor's soap opera. Cedric the Entertainer
also crops up as a detective working for Clooney's character.

The project has been in development hell for years, but has frequently had
some big names attached to it. Being a romantic comedy, it is hardly surprising
to find that it was once considered as a vehicle for Hugh Grant (alongside
Tea Leoni), while Joe Dante is also believed to have been in talks to direct,
with the odd pairing of Jeremy Irons and Heather Locklear also set, at one
time, to star. Julia Roberts was also rumoured to have been on the verge of
appearing.

Yet it now appears to be in good hands, with indie kings, the Coens, no doubt
livening things up with their own blend of quirky humour and polished screenwriting.

Location-wise, the movie also allowed Clooney to return to Las Vegas (where
he last set foot in Ocean's Eleven),
with a significant proportion filmed in Caesar's Palace. An article in the
Las Vegas Review Journal revealed that the Forum Casino and the Terrazza Restaurant
were used for several scenes and drew a large crowd to watch proceedings.

Intolerable Cruelty was due to have opened in America around April, but has
been put back to October to give it a better shot at success - following the
exhaustive summer schedule when the better films, traditionally, get lost
amid the blockbusters.

But it means that Clooney fans are guaranteed a busy 12 months of going to
see the star, what with Solaris out shortly and his directorial debut, Confessions
of a Dangerous Mind, due to hit cinema screens in the UK in March.

Needless
to say, now that he has finished with the Coens once more, he is returning
to the Soderbergh stable to film Ocean's 12 - the eagerly-anticipated follow-up
to the Rat Pack remake of last year.

Speaking at a recent press conference in London, the star confirmed that most
(if not all) of the stars had pencilled in the time to film the sequel next
year, but refused to provide any hints as to what the story might be. Soderbergh,
meanwhile, is quoted as saying that he feels he could better the previous
heist movie.

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